Indian army hunts for lost scores after deadly Himalayan flood

Uttarakhand Flood Disaster: Army Mobilizes Search and Rescue Operations

Immediate Response: Heavy Equipment and Dog Units Deployed

• Army Deployment: Army sniffer dogs, logistic drones, and earth‑moving machinery arrived Wednesday to locate missing individuals.
• Missing Count: Four fatalities confirmed; approximately 100 residents unaccounted for, including 11 soldiers.
• Helicopter Support: Military helicopters transported essential supplies, medical kits, and residents awaiting evacuation.

Causes and Severity: Massive Mudslide in Dharali

• Event: A torrent of muddy water and debris collapsed a narrow mountain valley, destroying the town of Dharali.
• Cloudburst: State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami cited an intense “cloudburst” of rain as the trigger.
• War‑Footing: Rescue teams mobilized “on a war footing” to counter the rapid escalation.

Visual Evidence: Mud‑Saturated Town and Ravaged Buildings

• Video Footage: Indian media broadcast a harrowing surge of water sweeping away multi‑storey apartment blocks in the tourist region on Tuesday.
• Impact: Residents ran before the dark waves of debris uprooted entire structures.
• Depth: Rescue officials estimated the mud depth at 50 feet (15 metres) in places, submerging buildings completely.

Weather Forecasts: Rivers Flowing Above Danger Mark

• Forecast: Government weather forecasters warned that all major rivers in Uttarakhand were flowing above the danger mark.
• Relocation: Residents were moved to higher terrain due to rising water levels caused by relentless rains.

Climate Change and Urbanisation: Increasing Frequency of Extreme Events

• UN Warning: The World Meteorological Organization described increasingly intense floods and droughts as a “distress signal” of the future.
• Hydrologist Insight: Expert hydrologist Manish Shrestha noted that 270 mm (10 inches) of rain within 24 hours is an “extreme event.”
• Mountain Impact: Rainfall in mountainous regions has a more concentrated impact than on lowlands, Shrestha explained.
• Climate Link: Such intense rainfall events are becoming more common and could be related to climate change.

Rescue teams continue to search for survivors as the region combats the aftermath of a monsoon‑season disaster amplified by climate trends.